It's All in the Design
by enemytosleep
Summary: Innocence isn't the only thing Lavi investigates this time. Written for LiveJournal springkink prompt: Kanda/Lavi - flirting, or something like it.


"Your jacket's too short." Kanda was being awfully chatty today.

"Really?" Lavi laced his fingers behind his head and turned around to walk backwards down the wide nave of the old church. Kanda didn't often supply his thoughts unprovoked, which of course only made it all the more interesting when he did so. "What makes you say that?"

Kanda shook his head and tutted, avoiding Lavi's gaze.

"I think it's the perfect length. Covers my back, but doesn't restrict me at all." Kanda narrowed his eyes further and shot an angry look Lavi's way. "Still think it's too short?" Lavi teased.

Kanda's nostrils flared. All right then. Lavi shrugged his shoulders and spun back around, possibly a bit theatrically in order to show off his freedom of movement. In the next moment, Lavi found himself pressed face first into a church wall, the flat side of a sword bruising the small of his back.

"The cut leaves you open in vulnerable places," Kanda said quietly, "a longer jacket would protect you better."

"Ah, I see," Lavi grunted out with what breath he had left. "Normally I'd ask you to buy me dinner first, but since we're so close and all-"

Kanda shoved off him and stalked away. Lavi noticed the Finders were suddenly very interested in a relief sculpture on the back wall.

"Perhaps we can investigate now?" It was hard to tell if Panda was mocking Lavi or just annoyed. At least he hadn't gotten hit this time - that probably meant the old geezer was mocking him, then.

"We _are_ investigating, Old Man. Yuu's got some interesting ideas about work apparel that I think are worth-"

The old man dealt Lavi a good, hard knock on the back of his head. Maybe he was a bit annoyed? How he managed to reach that high was always a mystery to Lavi.

"Kanda can discuss his thoughts concerning your uniform on the train," Bookman said. "_When we're done here._"

"I don't have thoughts about his uniform - only that the jacket should be longer."

Bookman shook his head and motioned for the Finders to follow him out into the courtyard where all the sarcophagi lay crumbling. Lavi turned back to Kanda.

"You realize this is Arles and not Paris, right? What's with all the fashion talk anyway? It's not like your uniform is any more ideal than mine. I mean, look at this." Lavi slid his fingers over the edges of Kanda's jacket and pulled the bottom flap more open. "How is this practical? It's nothing but extra fabric hanging off your hips!"

Kanda planted the heel of his palm on Lavi's chest and pushed. Hard.

"What?" Lavi asked.

Kanda made a disapproving noise and spun around to leave, his long jacket swirling around him dramatically. It was quite the exit. Maybe that was why Johhny had made it so long? Lavi half-jogged to catch up with him. When they reached the blazing sunshine outside the church doors, Lavi automatically put a hand up to shield his face.

"It's a wonder it doesn't get caught in anything," Lavi called out. "Your jacket, I mean." Kanda glared at him from the corner of his eye. "It's so long and billowy, I'd imagine it would get caught in doors or fence posts or something." Kanda stopped walking. "Has it?"

"How is your uniform any more appropriate? Your pants are too tight to move in!"

"I can move fine!" He jumped up and did a few bell-kicks to demonstrate his maneuverability - that and bell-kicks were fun. Kanda kept a careful eye on Lavi as he jumped about, scowling the whole while.

Then Kanda puffed a breath out from tight lips. Why was he so obsessed with Lavi's uniform today? It's not like it had changed or anything.

Lavi had been about to point that very thought out when the toe of his boot connected with a chunk of stone. He tried to catch himself, but ended up on his face in the dirt anyway.

"You look better like that," Yuu sneered, kicking him onto his side.

A normal person would have missed the glint in Kanda's eye, especially being face down on the ground with dirt in their eyes, but sometimes being Bookman's apprentice had its benefits.

_Strike!_


End file.
